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From left: Richmond South Centre MLA Henry Yao, Richmond–Queensborough MLA Aman Singh, Richmond–Steveston MLA Kelly Greene, Mayor Malcolm Brodie, and city Couns. Bill McNulty, Alexa Loo, Linda McPhail, and Andy Hobbs.

Photo by Angel St. George

New outdoor sports plaza planned for Oval

By Angel St. George

Published 11:28 PDT, Mon March 28, 2022

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Provincial and municipal political leaders came together recently to celebrate the outdoor plaza planned for the Richmond Olympic Oval.

The province is contributing $1 million towards the development of the plaza as part of the second round of the 2021 Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program's Destination Development stream.

“We want to say, on behalf of the City of Richmond, thanks to the provincial government for understanding that this is an important part of the recreational component of our community,” says Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “We want a healthy community. That is what we are really looking for in terms of high-quality living.”

Lot 5 is the land site being developed into an outdoor sports plaza. When the land packages were assembled during the early development stages of the Olympic Oval, that lot was intended to eventually belong to a private developer, but the city always wanted it to serve a recreational purpose.

“The land is going to be used to improve access to sports and recreation activities in the community,” says Brodie. “The need isn’t just to have the land, we also need to have some organizations on the land. We have designated areas for specific recreation.”

The outdoor plaza will include basketball courts and an artificial turf field, as well as serving as a venue for arts and culture events.

“The facility will create a lot more opportunities for summer programs. Every time we build a basketball court in Richmond, it’s full—it’s one of those things that if you build it, they will come,” says Coun. Alexa Loo, liaison to the Richmond Olympic Oval.

City planners are aiming to have construction completed as soon as possible, so that residents of new housing developments nearby can enjoy the added benefit of having a world-class recreational facility in their backyard.

The artificial turf field will be an improvement from seeded turf because the surface quality is
not severely impacted by weather conditions. Seeded fields get muddy when it rains and are often closed for months during re-seeding. Less closure means more accessibility for athletes and recreational users.

“I think it’s cost-saving in the long run,” says Coun. Linda McPhail, “The initial cost might be more, but there is less maintenance over time. An artificial field lasts about 10 to 15 years and only closes if there’s snow. Year-round usage is one of the key cost benefits.”

The development of the new outdoor sports plaza means that people who might otherwise not be able to play can come to the Oval.

“This is a great way to firmly say yes to the well-being of our community,” says Richmond South Centre MLA Henry Yao. “It’s outdoors, it’s sports, and it’s social—the perfect combination to help our community move toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”